Formation for ourselves and our children is everyone’s responsibility.
Called by our God to learn our faith, understand our faith, live our faith, and transmit that faith to others—we constantly seek the means to grow in our faith. The Mass is the most important way we actively participate in our own faith growth. But it is not the only means available to us. There are other ways briefly described below and on the right.
Sacramental and Liturgical Life
One of the fundamental purposes of the Catholic Church is to sanctify the people of God. This happens through faith formation which begins at home and is enhanced by formation programs within the parish. The role of the parents is primary because the home is what is often called, “the domestic church.” When the practice of our Catholic faith is alive and daily within the home, the lessons of faith become tangible. Children learn from the example of their parents as they see them being prayerful, faithful and loving disciples of Christ within the home life. Then when they go to Mass on Sunday and to their faith formation programs in the parish, their faith and knowledge grows deeper year by year. They grow in faith, wisdom, hope and love for God and others. They come to know the personal love God has for them.
Many children are baptized soon after birth, but some are not. In some areas of our country or other countries, the sacrament of Confirmation is administered to teens, but here the normal time is in third grade. No matter where children are in their formation, our parish is ready to help parents and children who are preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion. We follow this restored order for the children which returns us to the order of these sacraments found in the early history of the Church.
We are committed to following the policies and procedures mandated by our bishop. These are clearly explained for all of us to see. Read more about formation for the Sacraments of Initiation Policies and Procedures in The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
What We Offer
Children K – 5th: We have a faith formation program called Disciples. View our Disciples page for more information.
Vacation Bible School K – 5th grade: Each Summer we have a new Themed Program. View our Vacation Bible School page for more information.
Teens: Our director of youth evangelization recently got married and took an offer for another job to support his new family. We are currently searching for a new director.
Young Adults: Our young adults are encouraged to share as core team members in our ministry to children and teens, or in the parish choir, or in the many other ways to get involved in parish life. Some of our young adults also participate in the young adult events around the diocese or in the Catholic Newman Centers at the large campuses around Arizona such as ASU, NAU, and Grand Canyon University.
There are several Catholic universities located in our region mostly around the east valley (Tempe). Young Adult Catholics can also find many resources through Young Catholic Professionals of Phoenix. Another group that sponsors events and meetings is called Catholic Singles Arizona.
Parents: You are the first educators in the ways of faith for your children and teens. We want to do whatever we can to support you in your role as parents. It is such an awesome privilege to be co-creators with God of new lives. It brings many blessings and sometimes a few challenges which are only later recognized as blessings. There is a world of resources on the internet for Catholic parents.
Adult Faith Formation: We provide various ways for adults to continue their Catholic faith formation and deepen their faith. Our programs include adult discussion groups, Bible studies, Church doctrine sessions and special events with speakers. Many parishioners also participate in online or video learning through our parish subscription to Formed: on demand videos, e-books and programs.
Home Educators: We have a group of Catholic home educators in our parish who gather together frequently in our parish hall. They are the Holy Family Co-op. They follow the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix Homeschooling Policy and are associated with Sacred Heart Home Educators in our area. Holy Family Homeschool Co-op is a co-op under SHHE and began serving the West Valley in August 2020. They meet in our parish hall.
